


Unspoken Words Are Often The Loudest

by MagnusTesla



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Boruto Era, Cuddles, Deaf Iruka, Disability, Dog Teeth Kakashi, Domesticity, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Principal Iruka, Retired Rokudaime Kakashi, Shikamaru/Temari (mentioned), Short & Sweet, We Need More Older KakaIru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27150353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnusTesla/pseuds/MagnusTesla
Summary: For all that Kakashi is a terrifying shinobi, still feared by rogue nin and bandits, he is a complete scaredy cat when it comes to horror films.AKA: Kakashi is baby.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 26
Kudos: 163





	Unspoken Words Are Often The Loudest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohmoka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmoka/gifts).



> Moka - You are a truly wonderful human bean, who only deserves good things. I hope this makes you smile! ♡
> 
> A note to readers before we begin: Iruka has significant hearing loss, enough that he is considered deaf. He can hear loud sounds, and sometimes make out some things said to him when there are no other loud sounds around. But for the most part, noises are indistinguishable, and so he reads lips and uses sign language.

"Maa, Ru, are you sure you want to watch this?" Kakashi whined, signing as he did. 

It had been years since Iruka had lost almost all of his hearing—a student's prank gone wrong—and even though he'd told Kakashi that he could piece together most conversations with lip-reading, the jounin still insisted on signing as well. _"Why wouldn't I sign for you?"_ he'd asked back then, as though he couldn't comprehend why someone wouldn't make the effort to learn the language. 

"Yeah, it's a new one I haven't seen yet. Naruto said it was good, and that it gave Shikamaru nightmares for a week." Iruka grinned, then laughed at the way Kakashi, already naturally pale, turned almost white, and shuffled to lean against his side when he settled back on the sofa.

Kakashi chuckled, eyes crinkling in mirth. “I bet Temari isn’t going to let Shikamaru live that down.”

“Probably not,” Iruka said, laughing along with Kakashi. He spared a sideways glance at his husband, admiring his usually covered face. To everyone else, Kakashi didn’t look a day over 30, almost as though he was trapped in a moment in time. Iruka saw it all, behind the mask both literal and figurative. Kakashi was a survivor; wiser for it, and a little world-weary with age. But it suited him, settling into his skin in very subtle ways: smile lines around his mouth that would almost dimple when he grinned, soft wrinkling of skin around his eyes that conveyed contentment. 

Iruka pulled a woollen blanket across their laps, sighing happily when he felt Kakashi’s head drop onto his shoulder, his wild hair tickling Iruka’s neck. “Ready?” Iruka asked, remote in hand, pressing the play button.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Kakashi said, signing the words against Iruka’s palm. Over the years they’d established their own sort of sign language— a mix of shinobi field hand signs and Konoha sign language. It wasn’t understood by anyone but them, and had made for some interesting (hilarious) meetings back when Kakashi was Hokage. Shikamaru had grumbled at them both, calling them troublesome for acting like two teenage boys sending love notes across a classroom.

The television screen flickered to life as the film started playing, eerie, ominous music sounding through the speakers. Iruka wasn’t afraid of horror films, but even he felt goosebumps crawling up his neck as they were immediately thrown into a terrifying scene, the loud music suddenly reaching a climactic crescendo, making both men jump.

Kakashi fidgeted uncomfortably against him, gripping Iruka’s hand. 

The tight squeeze made Iruka glance at Kakashi, his eyes focussed on the way sharp canines briefly flashed into view as he read Kakashi’s lips, the man grumbling out, “fuck… have the kids ever heard of rewinding film tapes?”

The horror scene before them continued to unfold, blood and gore and men becoming monsters, their bodies painfully morphing into something else. Throughout it all, Kakashi’s grip on Iruka’s hand remained tight, his face pressed into Iruka’s neck whenever it all got a bit too much. 

“We can turn it off,” Iruka said. He ran his fingers through Kakashi’s hair, gently scratching at his scalp in a soothing motion. For all that Kakashi was a formidable shinobi, still feared by rogues and bandits, he was a big baby when it came to horror films. 

Kakashi shook his head, wordlessly saying no, then brought their entwined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to Iruka’s knuckles. With his other hand, he traced words onto the back of Iruka’s, the caress gentler than one would expect from a trained killer, and said, “I like it. It’s just scary.”

Iruka couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the admission. Morbid curiosity seemed to fuel Kakashi’s need to watch horror films, even though they terrified him. “Does the Rokudaime need a hug?” Iruka teased, shifting to loop his arm behind his lover, pulling him closer. He gave Kakashi’s hand a playful squeeze, laughing when he saw him pouting, trying his best to look put out.

They settled back into the sofa in a tangle of limbs, comfortable to just sit quietly in one another’s company, the film fading into the background.

 _“I always need your hugs,”_ went unsaid, spoken words—after all this time—between them simply no longer needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks and credit to [Kalira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira) for being my beta on this fic ♡
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ♡ I appreciate _every_ single kudos and comment. Let me know your thoughts below! I encourage all comments, even if it's short, keyboard smashing/flailing or emojis.
> 
> Add me on Discord (MagnusTesla#8289) or [Tumblr.](https://magnustesla.tumblr.com/)


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